September 19, 2020
Texas

Tax abatement agreement started earlier than expected for Hale Wind Farm

Friday, September 18, 2020 | www.myplainview.com

A tax abatement agreement for the wind farm near Petersburg began a year earlier than anticipated when the agreement was developed. Hale County is now set to receive a payment of $956,000 from Southwestern Public Service to catch up.

County Attorney Jim Tirey said the tax abatement agreement was signed back in 2018 before the construction of the wind farm under Hale Petersburg Wind, LLC.

SPS and ESI Energy, LLC purchased and closed on the Hale Wind Project in 2018 effectively transferring agreements to SPS. The Hale County Appraisal District contacted the company to start the tax abatement last year without notice to the county.

“The tax abatement agreement abates 100 percent of the property taxes on the wind farm,” Tirey said. “It requires them to pay a payment in lieu of taxes.”

The 10-year abatement agreement was to start in 2020. The wind farm, Tirey said, is capable of producing 478 megawatts of power so they have to pay Hale County $478,000. This payment was doubled this year to catch up.

The Hale County Commissioners voted Monday to transfer the abatement agreement to Southwestern Public Service and allow Judge David Mull to sign the paperwork.

“It means out of a 10-year tax abatement, now we’re on year two,” Tirey said.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/09/19/tax-abatement-agreement-started-earlier-than-expected-for-hale-wind-farm/